Daphne van Houten: "Golf always part of life"

• golf

Eight players from seven countries have been confirmed for the EDGA Cazoo Open, the first of five 36-hole tournaments forming the 2021 EDGA European Tour that will run alongside the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale, at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales from July 24-25.

Daphne van Houten of Holland will tee it up at the inaugural event becoming the first female golfer to participate competitively in the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) initiative, which takes place under the umbrella of the European Tour’s Golf For Good initiative - the Tour’s overarching Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Daphne van Houten, statements

“I have done a lot of amazing things with EDGA, playing in Australia, playing here with the European Tour and I played in the Diversity Cup ahead of the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in 2019.

I’ve done a lot because of EDGA. Golf has always been a part of my life. After my operation they told me I wouldn’t be able to play golf for a year, but I worked hard and shortened that to just two weeks. You can achieve anything if you have a passion for it and want to do it”.

Now it's official, Francesco Molinari misses the Tokyo Olympics. A consultation with his doctor has dispelled all doubts: the Turinese golfer will not be able to recover in time - for the men's individual competition scheduled from 29 July to 1 August at the Kasumigaseki Country Club - from a back injury that has tormented him from time and that had already forced him to skip, among other appointments, the PGA Championship, second Major of 2021.

Renato Paratore is ready in his place. "I'm trying to find the right words, but I can't find them. I have a back problem that has held me back for most of the season and which now unfortunately prevents me from representing my country in the most important sporting event in the world.

For all Italian athletes hoping to be able to participate in the Olympics in the future ". Thus, on twitter, Francesco Molinari motivated the choice of him. Difficult, for an athlete who had already decided to forfeit the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016 for other reasons (the Zika virus).

And that after the worldwide triumphs of 2018 (his record year), he hasn't found success since March 2019 (Arnold Palmer Invitational, PGA Tour). Nothing to do, not even this time. The Piedmontese will not fly to Japan where Italy will be represented by Guido Migliozzi, Giulia Molinaro, Lucrezia Colombotto Rosso and, probably (the official green light of the International Golf Federation is expected, after the request of the Italia Team), by Renato Paratore.

That after winning a gold medal (in the individual competition) and a bronze medal (in tandem with Virginia Elena Carta) at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games (China), is preparing to fly to Tokyo to chase a great result alongside of many world leaders.